One More Valentine
by carolravenbr
Summary: This is a story about two well known figures on the streets of Ikebukuro and their memories towards valentines day. Hate, love, mystery and some surprises will be waiting for you in this new adventure featured by the fortissimo in bartender suit, Shizuo Heiwajima, and the underground informant, Izaya Orihara.
1. Chapter 01

**First Chapter: From the Both Sides**

Another valentine's day had arrived. The holiday always made the informant's stomach turn upside down. It was one more of those stupid celebrations where humans exchanged gifts and spent money to show some kind of illusory affection. _Like if any kind of affection could be expressed on a material pursue... _Disgusting... And yet... Amusing. The way that humans got nervous and anxious about that holiday and what kind of surprises it could bring always caught the informant's attention. Izaya couldn't help but admire the efforts of the young girls working hard on the chocolates they would give to their lovers or objects of desire. Also, the anxiety and competition between the boys in that date was somehow interesting. They liked to compare who was going to receive more gifts from their "secret" admirers and some even prayed to receive at least one. Because receiving nothing on valentines days would mean you weren't loved... BY ANYONE.

Izaya remembered pretty well about valentines days in his high school days. He never worried about receiving anything and never expected to receive anything. Yet... Every single year he received chocolates. Most of them had the names of the admirers so he could thank the persons on the white's day. Which he certainly would not. However, there was always one small package of chocolates that never had the name on it. Every year... Year after year. He used to receive chocolates on elementary school and even before, but the unnamed package just started to appear when he started high school. Somehow it always made the raven wonder who would be that person who admired him and yet hide their identity. He never found out though. No matter who he asked or what he tried. That package simply appeared almost as magic inside his locket. One person that had such effort to hide their identity like that was probably really ashamed of that. Which lead him to the thought the person fell for him, but wanted to keep it a secret. Probably even of himself. A case of denial maybe? Who knows?

The informant kept walking as he recorded about that time and watched the groups of girls with small packages giggling and walking their way to school. It was around 6 a.m. They were probably leaving earlier so they could put the chocolates in the respectives lockets of their admired boys without being seen. Maybe for shyness or to keep things more interesting. He knew that keeping it a mystery could catch the gifted's attention and hold it for some time. Most humans found these kind of things exciting and attractive. Curiosity was, is and will always be a powerful weapon to call people's attention. While they are willing to gather any kind of information, they will keep searching for it and the interest just tend to grow with time. He worked with information. Spreading and collecting information. It was his job. Every day he saw what humans were capable to do just to get the information they needed... Or that they thought they needed.

Izaya knew everything. ALMOST everything... He didn't know who was that secret admirer who always left those chocolates for him. After all those years he didn't find out that. Not like the informant was interested in such things as love. He was over it. Those kind of things were mere human needs and someone so close to God as him would never have such a filthy necessities. However, the fact of not knowing about something, especially when it has something to do with his life, made him feel uncomfortable. Izaya liked to have control of everything and everyone. Not being able to know something about his own life would put him at the same level of a mere mortal. The idea itself was enough to make him lose his good mood. He had to know who it was. It couldn't be left like that. Izaya wasn't going to admit something that could drag him closer to a human level.

_"What a convenient coincidence..." _

He smirked as he saw the bodyguard walking his way to work. When he was in bad mood, mocking Shizuo always lifted his mood again. Maybe this time he could do more than just mocking. Last valentine's day he didn't find the blonde, but now he could remind him about why he was always alone at this date and put him on his rightful place. Looking at the twisted expression of anger and despair in the ex bartender's face always made the raven's day and he really needed it now. "Shi-zu-chan~" The informant hummed his name as if it was a children's song. "How is your valentine's day going? Did you receive any gift? Maybe a chocolate?" A devious smirk started to grow on his features as he watched Shizuo's expression growing more and more violent and him yelling his name infuriated as always. "My~ my~ Shizu-chan~ This way you will never get a girlfriend, you know? I bet you didn't get a-ny-thing yet, right? Well, it isn't a surprise I might say. Who would be crazy enough to fall in love with a monster like you? Just someone out of their mind would do something like that."

His smirk grew bigger and sinister with each word Shizuo yelled at him. Watching the blonde break like that and snap at him as if he cared was like a dessert after a great dinner. It would please your taste, but as soon as you had enough you had to stop, or you would just get tired of the same taste and maybe get even sick of it. That point was the climax. He could stay and say a little more, but if he kept mocking at Shizuo two reactions would be the most likely to happen. Shizuo would keep cursing on him, what would make him get tired soon. Or the bodyguard would chase him again and he really wasn't in the mood for that game of 'rat and cat' they usually played. He just wanted to cheer his mood a little and get off. So he just added one more comment before the blonde could say anything else. "Shizu-chan is so mean~ I came here to wish him a happy valentine's day and he just keep saying mean things to me..." He faked a hurt expression and innocent tone of voice, that was quickly replaced by his usual smirk and sinister tone of voice. "No wonder nobody loves you... Shi-zu-chan~ A monster like you should be locked inside a cage and threw inside a volcano." That was it. Shizuo exploded and jumped on Izaya ready to punch him for all those words. Izaya laughed madly and dodged the punch without much effort, running right after and disappearing from the blonde's sight not much time after that. It was fun, though it could had taken even more time of his day... And he surely dind't want to waste all of his day with the neanderthal . He kept walking looking for more fun. He would just have to work at night on that day and he wasn't going to spend all day doing nothing.

Not much far from there, was Shizuo. He was already angry thanks to Izaya. "Damn flea... The day barely started and he already ruined it..." He muttered angry as he dropped a street sign all smashed by his attempts to hit the informant. His breath was heavy and his eyebrows frowned. All those words the raven threw on him hurt one hundred time more than being shot by a vending machine on his head or even by a truck. As much as he hated to admit, Izaya's words were true. He was a monster and people were scared of him. Who would be so out of his mind to dare getting close the beast of Ikebukuro? Shizuo sighed lighting one of his cigarettes and taking a deep swallow on it. The smoke filling his lungs and soon leaving it in a strong sigh made his head and soon his body feel lighter. If there was something that could calm him down despise of pudding and milk, those two things were smoking and drinking. Since it was too soon to get drunk and there wasn't any place close he could buy milk or pudding, he decided to smoke. This addiction was one of the few things that kept his sanity somehow. Shizuo never planned on stop. He was too afraid that when he stopped smoking he would lose the rest of control he still had over his anger. It wasn't much, but he needed that for at least don't destroy all city on one of his attacks of fury.

Valentine's days was always a painful celebration for the bodyguard. The loneliness was more evident at that day. Every single year he watched as the girls delivered the chocolates to their lovers and how the boys got excited when they got something. Most likely, he never received a valentine's gift. He used to receive chocolates from Kasuka casually. Probably the younger wanted to make him feel better about the date and eventually he would accept the gift. Even feeling embarrassed, Shizuo appreciated his brother's concernment and decided to don't hurt his feelings refusing it. But yet, no one else ever sent him a valentine's gift or card. On elementary school he used to check his locket every single year in hopes to find something and every single year he got disappointed. As he grew older and "wiser" he started to realized it was useless to look for something that would never happen. That was one year when he found a small package of chocolates on his locket. His heart was about to skip a beat when he saw it. Such a feeling didn't last long though. A few minutes after he had tasted the chocolates, Shizuo was sent to Shinra's house. They had a poison on them that could kill a bull in a fraction of seconds. Surprisingly, or maybe not, they just made Shizuo pass out and have convulsions in the middle of the hallway while he was walking with Shinra. The doctor quickly took the blonde to his house and took care of him until the morning after. Luckily, Shizuo had a hell of a strong body, or else he wouldn't survive. Most likely, it was Izaya's thought. He didn't have to do much to find out. This kind of actions had the signature of the flea on it. Also, the informant couldn't resist the temptation of mocking of Shizuo the day after. It stabbed the blonde right where it hurt the most. His complex of solitude. Even if he wished to have a normal life and to meet someone who would accept and love him and let him do the same, he would never be able to get it for two reasons: 1- No one would be crazy at the point to love a monster like him; 2- Izaya would get in the way and make his life and his lover's life a living hell. He couldn't involve anyone in this mess. It wouldn't be fair to anyone. No one deserved to live like that.

Lost in his memories, the bodyguard didn't notice his boss staring at him from the distance. Tom walked closer waving one hand to the blonde. Shizuo kept his apathetic expression and greeted the tanned man with a monotone "Morning." Tom noticed the bodyguard was quieter than usual, but he knew Shizuo for long run and was pretty aware that if he was quiet like that, it was better to don't bug him. The blonde wasn't a bad person, but it was better to stick to his good side. That meant: Don't bother him by any instance. Those kind of celebrations could bring out odd moods on the bodyguard. Valentines, for instance, would probably bring a quiet and tense atmosphere. Shizuo didn't seem to have good memories from that date and Tom could imagine that. Someone as feared as the blonde probably never got approached in this kind of date. Moreover, he heard about the bad experience with poisoned chocolate Shizuo had. So even if he received something, he would probably most likely not eat it thinking it could be Izaya messing with him again.

A beep was heard coming from the blonde's pocket. He quickly took it off as if expectantly was waiting for it. His face lightened up in seconds reading the content of the message as something that could be mistaken with a smile appeared on his lips. The tanned male noticed and flashed a soft smile to the blonde as he moved one hand to tap the other's shoulder proudly. "So when were you going to tell about her?" A bright tone of red adorned the ex bartender's cheeks as those words were spoken. He looked back to his boss trying to mask the smile he previously let escape. "I don't know what you're talking about." He murmured, glancing to the opposite direction, pretending he was doing his job and watching for any potential danger. Tom didn't insist into the subject. He knew insisting wouldn't make Shizuo speak... Or woul probably destroy his mood.

Shizuo closed his flip mobile and placed inside his pocket, where it belongs. It was more than clear the blonde's mood had lifted up considerably. Which made his boss wonder what kind of message the other received. Perhaps it was really a girl? Or maybe just Kasuka trying to be a caring brother as usual. Well, he wouldn't know unless the other told him, but he couldn't see it coming any soon. More likely he would tell soon or later, but just when he felt secure to do so. Well, he could take his time. Tom was satisfied just to see the other's face a little happier. It wasn't everyday he got to see Shizuo smiling, so it was a little comforting. The day seemed it wouldn't have any more 'intense' moments unless Izaya decided to show up again. Which Tom hoped wouldn't happen.


	2. Chapter 02

**Second Chapter: From the Beast's Side**

It was just an ordinary sunday morning. Nothing much. Nothing was expected or planned for that particular day. He would probably just sleep until lunch time and perhaps watch some movies on tv, eating his favorite dessert. Maybe call Kasuka to make sure he was doing fine and maybe go out for his usual walks and smokes. Hopefully the flea wouldn't be around. Hopefully.

A beep could be heard coming from his drawer. Who could it be? Kasuka? Tom? Perhaps the little kid, Akane... But did she have his number? No... It couldn't be. Maybe Vorona? Not likely. A thought ran through his mind, which made his eyes open widely as he quickly grabbed the phone and flipped it open. Glancing to the screen, he opened the message to read it's content. For his own astonishment, it wasn't none of them. Instead it was from a number he didn't know. Someone sending him a message about how they admired him from afar and wanted to know a little more about him. Obviously the fortissimo didn't reply at first. He ignored it. Even though he wanted to believe someone out there could be able to love him. It was nearly impossible to happen. People saw him like someone abnormal. A monster. No one would ever love a monster. That wasn't right. The thought it could be just a prank also ran through his mind, making the blond just more convinced to not reply the mail. However, as the hours passed, he started to receive more messages. Each our one different with cheering messages about hope and something about inner value or something like that. He didn't read all of them, most of them he just ignored.

After a while, the messages stopped coming. Silence. Finally. But... Something didn't feel right. Those beeps. They stopped. Did the person just give up? Why was he caring about it anyway? The blond took his phone once more and roamed through the messages on it. They were sweet. Some had pictures of puppies and flowers. It brought a soft smile to his face. Few people knew, but Shizuo was really fond of cute things. Not to mention sweets. It was somehow comforting considering the life he took and all the stress he had to deal with. Those small things relaxed him a bit. He loved it.

Before he could tell, Shizuo was already looking to the phone again. No more messages during the day. It was somehow annoying. Did she really give up? Perhaps he offended her by not replying. Something inside him missed it. Those messages. No... Not only that. Affection. It was what he craved the most and those messages just reminded him of that. Quickly and without a second thought, Shizuo started to writte a message to his secret admirer:

_Are you okay? I'm not good with this kind of things... So... I'm sorry about not replying to your messages. I'd like to talk more with you. _

_Hope I didn't offend you,_

_Shizuo._

Those few words took him way more effort than he expected to spend on a message, but he was glad he did it. As soon as the message was sent, another message arrived and a warm feeling rose on his chest. She was willing to keep sending messages to him. At the end of the message, there was a picture of a cute japanese girl. She looked a little like the milk lady, surprisingly. A blush rose on his cheeks seeing the picture of her. Deep maroon eyes, a long and straight black hair. Porcelain white skin and glasses. How it come a girl that looked so normal, so cute, so fragile would get to admire a person like him? A brute, awkward, angry, dangerous man. It was confusing, but sometimes life didn't make sense, right?

As the days passed by, they kept contact and Shizuo would eventually open up with the girl on the other side of the screen. They never tried to meet in person, neither commented about it. He knew he should be the one to take the first step, given he was a man and she made the first move by contacting him. But the blond couldn't just find words to invite her out and neither a good time. He was always angry or too tired to think straight. Also, he had been pretty busy with work lately. However, despise of that, he was frightened. No one would ever imagine that, but Shizuo Heiwajima, the beast of Ikebukuro was a coward. At least he considered himself as such. A man that could lift vending machines, street signs, trucks, cause destruction wherever he went, was afraid to call a girl out. Why? One would ask. Exactly because he was who he was. She probably just approached him by phone because of his intimidating aura, his monstrous strength probably scared her as well. He was afraid she could say no and stop talking to him. Perhaps someday he'd call her out. Someday...

The days turned into weeks and weeks into a month. A slight change on the ex bartender's attitude could be noticed whenever his phone beeped. Kasuka knew his brother better than anyone in this world and he knew there was something happening. Nothing bad it seemed, but he was indeed curious about what could it be. Perhaps Shizuo got a girlfriend? No... He would tell at least his brother, right? "Brother, Is everything ok?" Hazel apathetical eyes looked to the blond as the owner of the orbs tipped his head slightly to the side, making a few strands of his brunet hair hang freely from behind his ear. "You're acting different lately, especially when your phone rings. Is there something happening?"

Another soft smile graced the bodyguard's lips. He was indeed in a good mood. Though he would try to act more calm and sweet towards Kasuka, the actor knew when Shizuo was forcing it up or making it spontaneously. The older Heiwajima was probably not even noticing how much he'd be smiling lately, but the ones around him did. Tom himself noticed it, but h attributed to the younger brother sending messages. He didn't think for a moment it could be someone else. It was before the valentine's day. But until then he didn't have any suspects in special. "Actually..." Shizuo started slowly, moving his gaze from his phone as he put it on its proper place inside his pocket. "I started to get some messages from a secret admirer. Not a big deal." That wasn't true. It was a big deal. At least for him. But not in a million years Shizuo would say it out loud. It was too embarrassing.

"Oh? A secret admirer?" Kasuka blinked a few times. He was surprised with the news. Was it really someone with good intentions? After the experience in high school, when Shizuo went to hospital because of a poisoned chocolate given by another 'secret admirer', he should be a little more cautious. "Are you sure it isn't another prank?" The brunet asked in his usual emotionless tone. It could sound like he was just being plainly cold, but he was actually concerned about his brother's sake. Kasuka would always look up for his brother. Not like as a role model or in a way a brother should, but as an example of what anger could do. What emotions could make one capable of. He himself had blocked most of his emotions or rather couldn't feel them, so it allowed him to think straight, using only the reasoning instead of acting on the heat of the moment. However, even though he had this critic view of his older, Shizuo was still his family. He somehow cared about him. Perhaps not as much as he should, but still... It was there. The concernment about the only brother he had.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. But it could be real, you know?" That was something he thought every day, but a part of him wanted to believe it was true. That someone out there didn't fear him and, perhaps, even loved him. "It will be fine. I'm not like in high school. If it turns out to be a shit I'm gonna kick their ass." Shizuo said reassuring his brother. Even though he himself wasn't sure of how it would turn out. Well, it wasn't like he was going to a war or in danger to die. In the worst scenario, someone would have their ass kicked. And most likely it would be Izaya.

"Well, I hope it's for real. For your own sake." Kasuka not changed his expression. Not even for a moment. Even though his tone seemed to be a little more kind now, his face still had the same apathetical expression. With Shizuo he didn't need to pretend having feelings or act like he'd always do. That was one of the good points of being with his brother at least. "Hm.. I gotta go now. I'll record a sequel from that last movie, so I should be going to the set. Take care."

Shizuo nodded to his brother and waved goodbye watching him leave. He didn't like when Kasuka worried about him, but it also felt nice to know he cared enough to give an advice. Though it should be him the mature one giving advices to the younger Heiwajima. Well... He wasn't the brightest lamp in town, so it quite made sense. At least he could still protect his brother with his despised strength when it's needed. That was all he could do really.

After that day, the messages became more and more rare. Shizuo wondered if something happened to the girl and kept sending her messages. When it had been already one week without any notices of her, he decided it was time to stop trying. Perhaps she changed her mind. Maybe someone told her how dangerous he could be. Well, it was nice while it lasted, right? The blond just laid in bed with a disappointed face. He felt like something was missing. Like a special part of his routine was taken away forever. He hated it. He hated feeling that way. "It sucks..." He murmured to himself, before closing his temples and drifting into sleep.

The other day, Shizuo did as usual. He got up from bed, dressed up one of his bartender suits and took his breakfast. Bread with strawberry jam, pudding and some milk. In his opinion that was most likely a good way to start the day in a good mood. Sweets always improved his mood. Checking on his messages, Shizuo noticed Tom had sent him a message telling him the next job would be on a pastry. Seems like the owner of it owed their boss some money. Well. Not bad. At least he could buy some treats. Yeah, that sounded like a plan.

With that thought in mind, Shizuo went to meet Tom at west gate as they agreed and from there they went to the next destination. It was a normal pastry. Just like all the others. Plain white painting on the outside and an advertisement with the name of the place. The showcase was filled with a big variety of different delicacies and cakes. Just the sight of such thing already made him anxious to eat some sweets. Well, the sooner they got over with this job, the sooner he could go for his treats.

It was a quick deal. The man had "forgotten" about the debt. Of course. Most of them use this excuse. It's such a cliché. Shizuo thought to himself as he kept looking around the place. Seeing the bodyguard was most of times a good incentive to make the clients pay and with this guy it couldn't be different. Seems like he knew the blonde's reputation based on the way he looked frightened at the bodyguard. Shizuo just ignored it as if that man wasn't even there. It was annoying to see people fearing him all the time. It wasn't like he thought they were wrong or had no reason to do so, but it still annoyed him. It reminded him or the monster he is. The monster that probably ruined his last chance to find love.

"I want a piece of this cake." Tom said with a smile on his face and pointing to a specific cake in display on the balcony. "How much is it?" Shizuo just blinked at the tanned man's request and then looked down to the cake he was pointing at and saw it was a strawberry cake. Usually his boss would go for something more healthy, but he wasn't one to judge. Perhaps he felt like eating something sweet as well. Shizuo scanned around the treats trying to find something for him. Since Tom was going to eat, he could at least make him company, right? "I want the chocolate one." Shizuo said bluntly, watching the owner nervously hand him a big slice of it. He probably wanted to please the blond so he wouldn't break his store... What kind of concept those people had of him?

When they were both settled on the table and having their respective treats, Tom looked to Shizuo resting his chin over one hand as he kept poking the cake with the fork using his other hand. "So, what's up? I noticed you've been a little down today. Is everything ok with your family? And Kasuka?" The blond was a little surprised, but not too much. After all he and Tom knew each other since high school. It made sense the other could read him better than most people. "It's nothing like that." He replied without giving details. It wasn't like he would go around talking about how he was left by his 'secret' admirer. Tom in the other hand, noticing that the bodyguard wouldn't explain things more than that, concluded he didn't want to talk about it. Perhaps it was something way too personal. Well, he wasn't going to insist. Even Tom was afraid of pissing Shizuo of, though he knew the other wouldn't hurt him. At least he was 99,999999...% sure.

After that, the rest of the day passed pretty quick. Tom didn't make any other unnecessary question and neither Shizuo spoke more than his usual. In fact, he was even quieter, but his boss just let him be. Sometimes people needed their own space and now it seemed like the blond really needed it. After the last work was concluded, the tanned man patted the bodyguard's shoulder and smiled. "That's all for today. Good work. See you tomorrow morning, ok?" "Mhm. See ya." Shizuo responded with a nod and waving goodbye to the other male at the same time he walked away. Finally that day was over and he could go home rest. It was a well deserved rest. He was exhausted. Even though the day wasn't that busy and he didn't do this much, he felt tired for some reason. Well, a long warm shower would take care of it. Hopefully.

As soon as he got inside his apartment, Shizuo went for that nice warm shower. He probably took longer than he should and he would feel it when the water bill came in next month, but he really needed it. The blond treated himself with some instant noodle and pudding for dessert while watching the news on tv. There was nothing really interesting in it and he wasn't really paying attention anyway, but at least it wouldn't be awfully quiet inside his home. It would come in his energy bill, but he barely staid home much, so he could at least give himself some tv time. Even if he wasn't watching it at all.

He finished eating and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Just when he started to wash the first plate a beep came from his phone. Shizuo didn't think it could be her. He'd convinced himself she wouldn't look for him anymore. It was less painful than feed expectations just to have it destroyed in the end. No, he didn't want that. However... The blond couldn't push away the thought that it could be her. Sighing a little annoyed, Shizuo left the dishes and went for his phone, flipped it open and checked his messages. For his surprise, not so surprising, it was indeed her. Shizuo could barely believe his eyes. Without a second thought he opened the mail to look it's content. He didn't even bother thinking what it could be about. He just had to know.

_I'm sorry I haven't responded your messages... I was ill those last days and didn't want to bother you. I hope you didn't think I was rejecting you in any way. I hope we still can talk._

A soft smile graced his lips. It was a relief she didn't reject him, though he was worried about her being ill and hidding it from him. Shizuo messaged her asking about how she was and trying to know a little more about that girl. Indeed, it seemed like someone is really able to love a monster and monsters are able to love. What would Izaya say about that now, huh?


	3. Chapter 03

**Third Chapter: From the Informant's Side**

Last year of high school. So much to record... So much to remember... The people they met, the people they had fun with and all the other things that go on at that stage of life. Some would say it was the best time of most people's lives. For most of them it could be true. However, for some it could be a living hell. It was something interesting... How the same thing could be experienced and remembered in many different ways depending on the point of view of the spectator or rather the main character in their own little world. Yeah, because life is just like a show and the ones to do the act are all his lovely and despicable humans, while he would expectantly watch them all struggle to find their place within the others. So fascinating and yet...

-So disgusting.-

For Izaya it was a pity high school was about to end, but also a relief. He found it all too boring, but there were a few things that kept his interest on that specific place. However the main object of his interest now was Shizuo Heiwajima. That abnormal monster with a great strength and short temper. He wanted to test his limits, to see how far he could go in the worst situations and how messed up he could get with time. It was so beautiful... Seeing him breaking. His mind shattering into small pieces. Like as if his heart was being eaten by that monstrous rage he had inside. But... Once the blond graduated from school, he was out of Izaya daily life. He would still go around to mess with the blond, of course. Or rather be chased by him. But the time at school became quite boring for him now. There was no fun in that place with those ordinary humans. So boring... But they were still his humans, so he gotta love it. That was probably the only thing that kept his attention to school now, or else he would probably have quit it. There was no point to follow society's regular educational trajectory, but also there was no point on quitting it. Just one year wouldn't be this bad. He could still meet his monster after class.

Izaya yawned lightly in the history class, feeling utterly bored with all those subjects he already knew by heart. The teacher was giving them a little review for their last exams and he knew all the subject. He just stayed in class because he had nothing better to do now. Shiki wouldn't make him lose school to work. It had been around one year? No... Perhaps half an year he started to work as an informant to the Awakuzu kai. Though he didn't have a strict contract with them, it wasn't like he could betray them as well. After all, they were still yakuza. No one in their perfect mind would mess with them. Unless they were yakuza as well. Izaya knew that, but even though they were dangerous, they were strong allies. Life could be easier or rather more interesting with them around. Having an ordinary life wasn't for him... At all.

Break time! As the bell rang, the informant's eyes wandered through the classroom full of people walking out of it as if the world would come to an end if they didn't go now. Well, their '_precious_' rest time wouldn't last forever, would it? The informant chuckled to himself at this thought. Somehow he could imagine Shinra saying that to him in counterargument to his statement and adding that human body and mind need intervals like that to rest from their daily activities. Yeah... It sounded like something the other would say. Shinra now was making a life with his dearest Dullahan. As an underground doctor. What an '_appealing_' job. Well... For Shinran's concepts at least. But who was him to say? An underground informant. Each of them got to do what they were good at. Also, Izaya _wanted_ the job he had. He wanted that life. To watch his dear humans and get more and more information. It was never enough. Quite addicting he would say. After all, the more you know, the more you realize how much you still have to learn. The world wouldn't stop spinning and as long as it kept this way he would still have things to learn and secrets to collect. Information was never enough.

Soon some giggles could be heard coming by the door. A bunch of stupid blushing girls standing there with some chocolate boxes. Wouldn't his humans stop amusing him? He sighed with a forced smile in his face and looked right to their direction. Every year it was like that. Some girls would come to his class to give him chocolate, even if he never gave anything in return on white's day or threw all their gifts on the nearest trash can he could find out of their eyes or still in front of their eyes. There would always be some miserable girls who would come to disturb him. Well... He loves his humans. So he would just enjoy the those moments to observe them better and have fun. He loved everyone of them, but not particularly any of them. For him the fact one human or two could hate him, or even the whole humanity didn't matter to him. He didn't love the human being itself. Not an individual. But the whole humanity. All of them. They are _his_ humans.

Once the girls finally approached the informant, he just silently heard all their excuses of confessions and watched some just quietly giving him the chocolate boxes and running away. Well, they saved themselves from what would come next. With all the remaining stubborn girls still in front of him, Izaya stood up. "I really do appreciate your courage, girls. All of you took your time to choose and make those gifts with so much love and care. That's really sweet. However..." The raven made a pause and dropped all the boxes on the floor. "I don't like sweet things." His expression changed from the gentle smile he was wearing before to a devious grin. He laughed madly as he started to stomp on the gifts given by the girls. People that were still inside of class and some who were at the corridors stopped to look from afar. Izaya seemed like the perfect picture of a mad man. That was one of the reasons some people would keep their distance from him.

As the girls left the room in tears -and some boiling of anger- he just watched with evident boredom in his face. It was harsh and he knew that pretty well. Breaking little girls' hearts wasn't his favorite game, but this time he was pretty annoyed. "Valentines... Huh?" He muttered to himself and looked to a specific envelope over his desk and sighed. That was already going too far. He was happy that high school was ending, but knowing it would be over and he hadn't found out who was that person... It was somehow frustrating. No... It was COMPLETELY frustrating! How could it be someone had outsmarted him until the last moment of high school?! At least now he knew it was either someone of his age or younger or someone who deliberately went inside the school and planted that envelop and the chocolates inside his locket. "I hate valentine's day..." He muttered to himself and threw the chocolate box through the window, not caring about the others stomped on the classroom's floor.

Not like he lived his life just around that fact, but still, he gave it a good parcel of thoughts. Who could it be? Who was the mysterious admirer? Who could it be that every single year managed to put those chocolates in his locket when he least expected? No eyes had seen who it was. Or perhaps it was someone they would fear to snitch. Shizuo was his first suspect, but soon the suspicious disappeared. Not even a second after he thought about the possibility. The blond wouldn't take his time to do such thing. It wasn't his style. Also... Why would he? They hated each other and even if it was for revenge or as a prank, he highly doubted the other could manage to place the chocolate inside the locked locket. So the monster was discarded. Shinra? Well, he was the type with that kind of sense of humor. In fact it could easily be him, but he surely doubted the other would use his time with something like that. He was way too busy with his studies and obsessions, in which one is that Dullahan he fell for. No... It wasn't Shinra. Also... Once he questioned him about the subject, the doctor just said "Do you really think I'd be crazy enough to mess with you? It's not like I have a death wish, y'know? Unlikely Shizuo, you wouldn't kill me with only one blow". Izaya could remember Shinra saying those words with a smile on his face and at the end of it shivering playfully.

No one else could be a suspect, right? Dotachin? Nah. Nakura? Impossible. He wouldn't dare. After his little 'incident' with the biology club involving a knife and Shinra, he woudn't dare to mess with Izaya. He knew the informant could use those facts to blackmail him or even destroy his life. Also, they were both in the Ambhisbaena club. If he tried anything weird, he could put all the blame on him. Another person out of list. Who could it be? Who could it be?!

And so like that it went another year. As soon as the valentine's day was gone, he focused in other affairs. With time he became a quiet known as a reliable and accurate informant from the underground world. Once he finally graduated from school, he also had more time to work on what really mattered. His job and his humans. There was a rumor about the Yagiri's Pharmaceutical, but it still had to be examined better. Seems like they have been making experiment on humans and even been involved on the disappearances around Ikebukuro. Fascinating... How much would one pay to have information about that? How much would they pay to keep it a secret? That was the most fascinating thing about his job. No matter what secrets someone had, it would always have a price. He could sell it or keep it depending only on the price. Or at least most people would do it like that if given the opportunity. Of course, money counted and was an important part of his job. Money bought information and kept some mouths shut. The human world spins around money. Another fascinating and yet disgusting thing about them. Well... As long as he got what he wanted, he wouldn't care to pay the price. Of course, as long as it was fair... For him at least.

One more time he went home to find that damned box. "What the...?" At first he got a little amused of how much effort one would do to keep up with this sort of creepy tradition. They indeed found out where he lived, didn't they? It was hard to tell who it could be... Even the security cameras got nothing. Or either this person was a ghost or they knew this place really well. How could it be they could find all the blind points on the lobby downstairs and on his own apartment? After he opened this box, he noticed there was no chocolate inside. For the first time they didn't put it. Instead... There was a little letter. Why would one put a letter inside a box...? "Well..." The raven opened the letter. It didn't have much written on it but.

-_Surprised? Yes, I know where you live! Hahah! I guess you can't wait to know who I am, huh? Too bad~~ Unless you find out on your own I won't tell you! With love, Your Secret Admirer._-

Ok, that was becoming just plainly teasing. They were really challenging him! Izaya would usually just ignore that, but... It had been years since he left high school and they kept on with that prank! Without even hesitating, he took a cigarette lighter and used it to burn it down to ashes. "Stupid admirer..." He hissed lowly and walked away from the remains of the letter. They thought they could outsmart him. They thought they could keep up with this joke forever, didn't they? The informant took his cell phone and sent a few messages. A malicious grin grew on his face and slowly became a wide grin. "Gotcha." He hummed softly.

This time he would be the one to laugh in the end.


End file.
